Intervenor Status Gives Wildhorse Advocates Voice

The Rock Springs Grazing Association is keeping quiet about a complaint they filed against the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior this summer, in which they call for the removal of all wild horses off of all private lands in Sweet Water County.

The complaint was filed in July, and while the RSGA isn't commenting, wild horse advocacy groups granted intervenor status in the case are making their voices heard.

"We think our intervenor status is absolutely essential in order that the horses are well represented in this litigation. We know historically the Rock Springs Grazing Association have commercial interest, which is why they're suing to get the horses removed."

Deniz Bolbol, with the American Wildhorse Preservation Compaign, says she represents a coalition of 45 different organizations.

The RSGA wants the horses removed from all private lands on a 40 by 80 mile area of checkerboard in southwest Wyoming.

Despite recent roundups, the RSGA complaint says the BLM and Interior Department have not done enough to keep numbers down.

Bolbol says the BLM and Interior Department have done too much to appease groups like the RSGA.

She also questions the promotion of wild horses by Wyoming tourism agencies.

'Its ironic the Wyoming Tourism Board promotes wild horses as something to come see in Wyoming yet we have this very real battle between a small group of ranchers fighting for their commercial interests at the wild horse's expense."

The wild horse advocacy organizations were granted their intervenor status earlier this month.